In co-pending application Ser. No. 07/891,035 filed Jun. 1, 1992, a double folded mailer was provided preferably formed using pressure activated cohesive as the permanent adhesive for sealing components of the form together, and useful with the SPEEDISEALER.RTM. pressure seal equipment manufactured by Moore Business Forms, Inc. of Lake Forest, Ill. While the mailer described in that co-pending application has a great deal of area that can be printed, to provide a large amount of information on the mailer, and is easily constructed from a single sheet (either a continuous or cut sheet), it is somewhat limited in applications in that it does not include a built in return envelope.
According to the present invention, a mailer made from a single sheet of double folded paper, having a amount of area for printing of both variable and non-variable information, is provided. The construction is such that the variable information may be simplex printed on the form, which may be either in cut sheet continuous format. Additionally, the form according to the invention includes a built in reply envelope that covers the full width of the form, and is easy to access. The mailer according to the invention is also easy to open although it will remain integral during mailing.
According to one aspect of the present invention, a mailer type business form intermediate is provided. The intermediate comprises the following elements: A sheet of paper having first and second opposite parallel longitudinal edges; first and second opposite end edges; a first face adapted to provide the majority of the interior of a mailer when constructed from the sheet; and a second face adapted to provide the exterior of the mailer when constructed. First, second and third fold lines formed in the sheet perpendicular to the longitudinal edges, and dividing the sheet into, in sequence, first, second, third, and fourth panels of virtually identical size, the first panel being defined by the first end edge and the first fold line, and the fourth panel by the second end edge and the third fold line. A first machine-activated adhesive pattern provided on the first face of one or both of the first and fourth panels for joining the first and fourth panels together along the longitudinal edges and adjacent the first and third fold lines for forming a return envelope when the sheet is folded about the second fold line. First and second longitudinal lines of weakness formed in the second and third panels parallel to and adjacent, but spaced from, the first and second longitudinal edges, respectively, the lines of weakness defining with the longitudinal edges first and second longitudinal margin portions. Second and third machine-activated adhesive patterns disposed on the first face of the sheet in the first and second longitudinal margin portions for holding the second and third panels together when the sheet is folded about the second fold line. A first end line of weakness formed in the sheet parallel to and adjacent, but spaced from, the second end edge to define a first end margin portion. A fourth line formed in the sheet parallel to and adjacent, but spaced from, the first end edge to define a reply envelope flap portion. A recipient-activated strip of adhesive disposed on the first face of the reply envelope flap portion. Fourth machine-activated adhesive patterns disposed on the first face of the sheet in one or both of the first end margin portion and reply envelope flap portion, the fourth patterns comprising widely spaced shapes of adhesive for tacking the first and second end edges of the sheet together when the sheet is folded about the second fold line to provide a mailer. And, fifth machine-activated adhesive patterns disposed on the second face of the sheet in one or both of the first and second panels, or third and fourth panels, in the reply envelope flap or the first end margin, and adjacent the second fold line, respectively, the fifth patterns comprising widely spaced shapes of adhesive for tacking the first and second panels, or third and fourth panels, together when the sheet is folded about the first, second and third fold lines, to provide readily releasable attachment therebetween.
The fifth machine activated adhesive patterns are preferably disposed on one or both of the reply envelope flap portion, and the second panel second face adjacent the second fold line, and reply address indicia is imaged on the second face of the first panel. Outgoing address indicia is imaged on the second face of the third panel, and the second faces of the panels are devoid of adhesive along or parallel to the longitudinal edges thereof. Also the first and third lines typically are lines of weakness (such as perforations).
A third longitudinal line of weakness also is preferably formed in the second panel between the first and second fold lines and defining the second panel into statement and remittance portions, which have variable statement indicia and variable remittance indicia, respectively, imaged on the second faces thereof. Typically the machine-activated adhesive patterns are pressure-activated cohesive, such as used with the Moore Business Forms, Inc. SPEEDISEALER.RTM. pressure seal equipment, and the recipient activated adhesive pattern is rewettable adhesive (or pressure sensitive adhesive covered by a release strip).
The intermediate according to the invention is constructed into a mailer by folding along first the second fold line, and then along the first and third fold lines, so that the first face of all panels is in the interior of the mailer, and also so that the second faces of the first and second panels are in the interior, with the second faces of the third and fourth panels providing the exterior of the mailer. In the mailer formed by this folding, four plies are provided, the first ply comprising the third panel, the second ply the second panel, the third ply the first panel, and the fourth ply the fourth panel.
The invention also comprises a multi-ply mailer with built in return envelope. The mailer comprises the following elements: First, second, third, and fourth plies of virtually identical dimensions, each having first and second faces, longitudinal edges, and end edges. The first ply having outgoing address indicia imaged on the first face thereof, the first face being an exterior face of the mailer. First and second adhesive patterns for connecting the second face of the first ply to the face of the second ply together in margin portions adjacent the longitudinal edges of the first and second plies. First and second longitudinal lines of weakness disposed on the opposite side of the first and second adhesive patterns from the longitudinal edges for allowing detachment of the first and second plies adjacent the longitudinal edges. The first face of the third ply having reply address indicia imaged thereon. A third adhesive pattern disposed between the second face of the third ply and the first face of the fourth ply for connecting the third and fourth plies together along three edges thereof to form a reply envelope. The third and fourth plies being devoid of longitudinal lines of weakness. And, a fourth adhesive pattern disposed between the second face of the second ply and the first face of the third ply along at least one end edge thereof, but not along the longitudinal edges thereof, the fourth adhesive pattern comprising widely spaced shapes of adhesive for tacking the second and third plies together to provide readily releasable attachment therebetween, the second ply second face and the third ply first face being devoid longitudinal adhesive patterns.
The second and third plies are tacked together by the fourth adhesive pattern along one edge thereof and are connected together by a line of weakness at the other edge thereof. In fact, preferably the first ply is connected to both the second and fourth plies at the end edges thereof by lines of weakness, and the second ply is connected to both the first and third plies at the end edges thereof by lines of weakness, so that the mailer is constructed by double folding a single sheet of paper.
Preferably the third adhesive pattern connects the third and fourth plies together along both longitudinal edges thereof and along the first end edge of the fourth ply. A reply envelope flap is formed in the third ply, and a detachable stub is formed in the fourth ply by a line of weakness parallel to the second edge so that the flap and detachable stub have essentially the same width. A recipient activated adhesive strip (e.g. rewettable adhesive) is disposed on the second face of the third ply in the reply envelope flap. A fifth adhesive pattern is disposed between the detachable stub and the reply envelope flap, the fifth pattern comprising widely spaced shapes of adhesive tacking the third and fourth plies together adjacent the second edges thereof to provide readily detachable attachment therebetween.
The third longitudinal line of weakness may be formed in the second ply between the first and second longitudinal lines of weakness to separate the second ply into remittance and statement portions, the remittance portion having variable remittance indicia, and the statement portion having variable statement indicia., imaged on the second face thereof. Further, indicia indicating how to open the mailer may be imaged on the first face of the first ply in at least one of the longitudinal margin portions.
It is the primary object of the present invention to provide an advantageous mailer type business form, and intermediate, having a built in reply envelope. This and other objects of the invention will become clear from an inspection of the detailed description of the invention and from the appended claims.